User reviews

Alicia Witt was spot-on perfect a few years back in "Merry Mix Up." She can act, as was particularly evidenced by the scene in which she was alone in a bathroom and had an emotional breakdown - it was subtle and very moving. Since then, her Christmas movies have gone downhill, mostly because she acts so goofy. What's with the overbaked facial expressions, weird voice inflections, and klutzy looking body movements ? This new movie is a good, solid, well-written story that keeps your interest. But, there are only three reasons to watch it :

1. Colin Ferguson (as Morgan) and the great Jill Larson (Opal of "All My Children") are very good, particularly Larson in a supporting role that is pivotal to the plot.

2. Witt's hair. In the first hour there is a scene where she stoops over to talk to some kids and her long hair completely covers her face. It's like the kids are talking to Cousin Itt from the Addams Family ! Then, in a longer scene, as she is performing, her hair hangs straight down, then its back behind her ears, then its behind her left ear only, no wait - now its straight down, nope - it's back behind both ears, yikes - now only the right side of her hair is behind an ear, now it's straight down again, etc.,etc. Does that hair move by itself you wonder ! This serious lack of continuity is hilarious - you got to see it to believe it. Plus, you can't understand how the director let this happen in the finished product ! The most blatant and continual lack of continuity I have ever seen in a film.

3. Witt's performance. During the first hour, she overacts beyond belief. At times, she gives these looks of horror or shock that are laughably inappropriate to what is going on in the scene. And her body movements are childlike or just plain clumsy. At the end of the hour, my wife said, "I think we are going to find out that her character has a mental problem - something disturbing happened to her." Seriously?! Ya think ?! But, Witt almost redeems herself in the second hour. She settles down, removes the distracting aqua blue nail polish that her character (an attorney) would never wear, pulls her hair back out of her face (per the frustrated make-up staff probably), and she seems to concentrate on what she is doing. She is actually quite good and heartfelt.

All in all, pretty entertaining and unintentionally hilarious. Can't wait until Witt's funny fiasco next Christmas. Who was it that said, "Always keep 'em laughing!".

Review Date 6/15/2019

I Have Reviewed OVER 500 "Christmas Films and Specials". Please BEWARE Of films and specials with just one review! For instance When "It's a POSITIVE" chances are that the reviewer was involved with the production. "If its Negative" then they may have a grudge against the film for whatever reason. I am fare about these films.

After their parents have died, Emma and her siblings spend a nostalgic Christmas in their family home before putting the house on Honeysuckle Lane up for sale. Emma however returns home after being gone for years. Upon arriving she see's old friends and stumbles across a little mystery about her mom.

The film is very enjoyable. What is is nice there is not a "Villain" . There is also not the tired plot threads that keep popping up in these Hallmark Movies. There is know "Sibling Rivalry" or "Falling Back in Love with an Ex". What we have here is a woman at a crossroads in her and nobody forcing her into a decision. A nice change of pace.

When it airs you won't be disappointed

A woman (Alicia Witt) returns home after her parents died to celebrate with her sister (Laura Leighton) and brother. She meets an antiques store owner (Colin Ferguson) who helps her settle and value the contents of the house. At least it's a different story than the typical Christmas movie.

The last few years Hallmark has wasted Alicia Witt in some pretty poorly done Christmas movies. Luckily this year, they've put her in a more emotional and satisfying movie. Laura Leighton is an always welcome surprise in these movies too. If only someone had taken the time to brush Alicia's hair. She's too pretty to have a rat's nest on her head.

This is a story about returning home after a long absence and remember those we love and finding out that reality is a little different.

Alicia Witt and Colin Ferguson are excellent together even though the story is more than just their relationship.

The makeup and hair were horrible. I don't understand how it could be so bad. Alicia's hair is often a mess. Colin frequently has a five-o'clock-shadow even early in the story's day. Actors have shiny noses.

Well, I have to say that the title of this 2018 Christmas movie and the cover wasn't exactly great selling points, and I was having some doubts about the movie. But still, with it being the holiday season and all, and me not having already seen "Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane", of course I opted to sit down to watch what writer Caitlin D. Fryers managed to concoct.

Needless to say that I was expecting this to be another over-the-top sappy cheesy romantic Christmas movie, you know, the ones that come a dime a dozen. But writer Caitlin D. Fryers and director Maggie Greenwald actually managed to surprise me with what they delivered here. Why? Well, simply because the storyline told in "Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane" was actually one that transcended the usual Christmas romantic cheese. And I found the storyline to be every bit as entertaining as it was well-written.

So if you enjoy Christmas movies and want to watch something that is more than the usual girl hates boy but is forced to work together and falls in love type of Christmas movie, then by all means give "Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane" a chance.

I wasn't familiar with the majority of the cast in this 2018 Christmas movie. I only recognized Laura Leighton actually, and she wasn't the lead actress. But I will say that the actors and actresses in the movie put on good performances in bringing the movie to life on the screen. Lead actress Alicia Witt (playing Emma) and lead actor Colin Ferguson (playing Morgan) really carried the movie quite well and had a good on-screen chemistry.

"Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane" is the type of Christmas movie that definitely has a feel-good atmosphere to it, and it definitely put me in a good mood. So this is certainly a Christmas movie that I can and will warmly recommend you sit down to watch if you like Christmas movies and if you have the chance.

Actually, "Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane" is one of the better Christmas movies that I have sat down to watch thus far in 2021. And I've seen more than twenty so far, only ten days into December.

My rating of "Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane" lands on a most well-deserved seven out of ten stars. It is a good movie, though it is not going to become a Christmas classic for me. Nor do I think I will actually ever sit down to watch it a second time.

My wife and I both really enjoy just about anything Colin Ferguson is in--always a friendly, engaging character and excellent actor, one of the best in the Hallmark stable.

Unfortunately, he's stuck in this snooze-fest with Alicia Witt, who is one of the worst. The irritating contortions of her mouth, along with so many silly and inappropriate facial expressions, are enough in themselves to ruin any chance she might have for a convincing performance. But add to it the fact that her character is a Negative Nellie who cries, pouts, smarts off, etc. throughout the movie, and by the end you're wondering--as my wife cried out--"why on earth would any man have anything to do with her??"

Ferguson's character is left with little to do but keep apologizing to her, which becomes eye-rolling because she should be the one doing so, pretty much every time. Most of the 'emotional' moments end up feeling manufactured and even silly, which steals any genuine emotional arc from the script.

And one more ingredient that probably does more than anything to crush everything else down to an emotional flatline--the boring, ever-present, do-nothing music that drones on continuously for two solid hours. It sounds just the same in the 'high' moments as in the 'low', doing nothing to really enhance a particular moment or separate it from the one that preceded it or follows.

I'm giving it two stars instead of one, only because of 1. Colin Ferguson's presence and 2. the gorgeous house, which in the end was the only real shining star in the whole thing.

7.6 stars.

Emma is an attorney who returns from New York to visit her family over the holidays. Her parents passed away recently and now she must sell the estate with the aid of her older sister and brother. She meets Morgan, an antique store owner, and they have a lot in common. She is currently in an on again off again relationship with a man from the city, but at this point, it's off.

Does she have strong feelings for Morgan? Does he reciprocate? Of course, it's Hallmark. Now we must watch as they work out the kinks in their fledgling relationship and meanwhile her "ex" boyfriend wants her back. She is conflicted, but Morgan is not the type to wholeheartedly commit and pursue her with reckless abandon. He weighs the options and is a perfect gentleman about the ordeal. But then a mystery arises, they find out there was an unknown man from her mother's past. They embark on a hunt to uncover the identity of this figure and along the journey they grow closer. Concurrently, her older sister is having issues with her daughter who is going to college, and they have some disagreements. Her brother is married with two children, and they also contribute some wonderful drama. They are all preparing to celebrate one last Christmas at the Honeysuckle House and many townsfolk, including Morgan, are intertwined into this fun time over the holidays.

The final act is a but rushed and the romance too. Overall, I enjoyed this movie, but it could have been improved with some better time management and more opportunity to marinate in the glee of the happily ever after.

Alicia Witt never fails to entertain. She has a very endearing subtle exuberance, and it always shines through. She can make a film a fun experience just being present in the room. And wouldn't you know, just by coincidence, Colin Ferguson was also cast in the movie. This is certainly a bonus, because he exudes the same kind of mystique. He has a charisma unlike most male actors I've come to like in these romance movies, which explains why he was the lead in his own television show for multiple seasons. Together they are radiant and positive and nothing could possibly go awry. You can feel the magic with the energy they share and it envelops the story with pure joyfulness and maybe a little mischief (even though there is absolutely nothing light or mischievious about this story).

I like it ! For house, letters, ornaments of Christmas tree, for supporting actors and for the connection with past. In rest, it is only a Hallmark Christmas film, not impressive but nice , not memorable but sweet, the chemistry between the main character being, in nice manner, replaced , by a fair complementarity, working not just bad. The soft confusions as obstacles against relation are a good point. The result, beautiful , first for the flavors of a lost time and family spirit.

The Reynolds siblings are reuniting at their family home after their parents' death. It's their last Christmas there. Emma (Alicia Witt) has a new promotion and ending an old relationship. Andie (Laura Leighton) is a novelist and mom. Daniel has his family. The siblings need someone to appraise their parents' estate and they hire antique dealer Morgan Shelby (Colin Ferguson). He opens a secret compartment in a desk and uncovers mother Reynolds' secret past.

This is one of the countless Hallmark Christmas romances coming out every year. These are good actors doing their workmanlike jobs. It's not anything outstanding. In fact, the meet-cute could be much cuter. Witt has her anger dialed up too high. It sets up for a good combative energy but the romantic energy suffers. The movie does have a good sad tone from the dead parents which works well with the material. Overall, it's fine for what it is.

That may sound harsh, and apologies, but 'Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane' just didn't work for me. Liked the concept, which was hardly an original one but seemed nice enough. The title sounded cute if corny. Not all Hallmark Christmas films are bad, actually think a good deal of them are watchable but was pleasantly surprised by some. Colin Ferguson is seldom less than watchable and more often than not is more than that.

Was though not completely excited in seeing it, having struggled with watching some of Alicia Witt's performances in her other Christmas films and from the synopsis and what has been said about the film it sounded like it would be another variation on the type of character that she often overacts. While not quite one of the worst Hallmark Christmas films, 'Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane' had a lot of very glaring flaws bad enough to completely disallow me from getting any enjoyment out of it.

'Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane' is not all bad. Ferguson is very engaging and does a great job with what he's given, which is not enough and not worthy of Ferguson's talent. Jill Larson is also a joy as one of the few characters in the film to be properly worth investing in.

It looks good, the settings are beautiful to watch and are lovingly festive, nicely photographed. Count me in as another person who loves the house, one of the nicest houses for any Hallmark Christmas film.

However, Witt badly overacts her role, coming over as very affected, and exaggerates her character's negative traits (i.e. pomposity) to a very grating degree. There is no chemistry or spark between her and Ferguson, no warmth whatsoever and very disconnected. Other than Morgan and Rachel, none of the characters are particularly likeable and only Rachel is interesting, Ferguson's material is too weak and he has too little to his role.

Dialogue ranges from laughably bad to downright painful, very childish with a lot of forced sentimentality and constant awkwardness. The story is lifeless with a glacially slow pace throughout, especially the very hard to sit through first half, and has no charm, warmth or heart. Boredom and annoyance were the only two feelings that came from watching this film. The music for my liking was too constant and too intrusive. The direction is pedestrian throughout.

On the whole, mediocre. 4/10

I enjoyed coming up with this review title. Yes it is a well done Christmas movie maybe not one for the "Christmas Movie Hall of Fame" like Alicia Witt's A VERY MERRY MIX UP (2013). Out of 24 new Christmas movies, I chose this one to watch first because this one has Alicia Witt and Colin Ferguson who made the movie. The story was better than most and is actually written by Erin Walton (actress Mary Beth McDonough) and she plays a part in the film (also a cameo from Elizabeth Walton). The town is 6 hours from New York City and probably in Vermont or Maine because these states contain a Charlotte. Love Letters are discovered in a secret compartment of an old desk so throughout the film we have some mystery. Nicely filmed high quality movie. The sub plot of the sister's 20 year old daughter wanting to switch from fine arts to med school was an unnecessary distraction. It is enjoyable.

Who is the actor that plays Ian??? It looks like a Wahlburg!

4/10 - irritating main character and an overall snooze fest

I feel this movie missed out on tapping into Witt's great ability to play the quirky, funny girl. This goes in a different direction. Witt looks great in a tight sweater and jeans and especially putting on her CFM boots. I don't think I have ever seen a "putting on my boots scene" ...weird. Like, just keep the camera rolling we have to go outside. I assume this is adapted from a book; it's not done well. Who cares about Rumi? Not me. Oh, and the brother...I won't spoil it but I wanted to slap him silly in his final scene.

The story is average, but the two leads have an on-screen spark which makes this flick engaging.

What most impressed me was the beautiful house (where the story is mainly staged); and the overall Christmas decor/snow-laden setting (beautiful interiors with many trees & lights) which is sophisticated and understated - without an inflatable Snowman/Santa-Claus in sight.

Very pretty to look at - I've scored 7/10 for festive charm alone.

I say it had a Walton touch because the movie is based off of a novel written by the actress, Mary McDonough that played Erin on the Waltons. She also has a part in the movie as well. Curious fact, Kami Cotler who played, Elizabeth Walton has a part as an extra on the street in the movie as well. Kami and Mary are still good friends. What I loved about the Waltons which I grew up watching is that all of the cast were very tight knit and still that way today. In Hollywood that is very rare in the day of look at me egos.

As for this movie like I said it is the typical Hallmark Christmas movie. Where the main character returns to their past brought together in their old home after their parents pass. A male character then enters and the main character has to do the Hallmark thing and make a decision on their future.

This formula is used in almost every Hallmark movie but hey it's Christmas time so what else is there to do?

I watched it with my Walton's tie so I enjoyed it.

Good actors, but soooo slow. Hard to follow. Wanted to like since I really like the actors.

The leads have zero chemistry. This movie was at times painful to watch.

Typical story line of last Christmas stuff. Alicia Witt is her usual. I am prejudice in the fact I'm Big fan of Colin Ferguson. If he is in it I will watch it. In my opinion he does Great work as always.

Certainly some questionable acting, overdone facial quirks etc.Kind of a ho-hum plot- certainly not much mystery. I thought it hilarious that, even though the name of the town is supposed to be "Oliver's Well" (really??- where is there a town like that?) at the beginning of the movie they showed one shop with the marquee "Old Wethersfield Country Store". Yes, it was shot in Wethersfield, Connecticut. So why was that store name shown? Is it taking place in Oliver's whatever or in Wethersfield? Were they just too lazy to cover that up? Did they spend more than ten minutes editing it? Also, many people around the country know Comstock Ferre as being one of the finest purveyors of heirloom seeds (Wethersfield is or was also the headquarters of the famous Hart's seeds). So showing that sign very obviously makes the Olvier's Well setting even more unbelieveable..There are some serious disconnects in this movie that show a total lack of quality control. Her nail color was horrible and I wondered about that choice. Not too many attorneys show up for a closing like that. Her hair was certainly inconsistent- was that showing that everyone has a bad hair day, or just poor quality control? I didn't think that she and the guy had any chemistry either. A fake crank-out from too much Hallmark quantity.

Really slow movie. Colin Ferguson is great as usual, but Alicia Witt was bad. She has just made partner in a major big city law firm, but her hair is stringy and clothes unprofessional.